World Book Day

Today is World Book Day when we celebrate the world of book – unsuprisingly!

I really cannot remember not being able to pick a book up & lose myself in another world. I remember a junior school my teacher questioning me the need to change my reading book daily, I wasn’t really into TV as a kid, Saturday morning TV being the exception, but the rest of the time I was either outside playing or in a corner reading.

I loved C.S.Lewis’s Narnia book & read them over & over again, but The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe was always my favourite, I’d read most things. I read the previous days paper, my father only had two rule:-

1) No-one was to speak during the 6 O’clock news, he got home for work just in time to watch it, we could ask questions later & he was always truthful about what was going on in the world never hid anything from us, at that time it was mainly IRA & strikes

2) That no-one read the paper before him. I have to admit to always reading the front page when I was putting it by his chair, sorry Dad.

He worked long hours at his job & he only asked for these two things. I know I got my love of books from him, he very rarely had time for books but when he did it was usually a classic, he had at one time belonged to a book club but not having the time to read them he cancelled his subscription..

Anyhow back to World Book Day musings. Reading with you little ones is very important, they learn how to read a book from us turning the pages, start off with just picture books, the Hungry Caterpillar was always a favourite, pointing out different images, I have a lot of the thick cardboard books for when the Grand children visit, for little fingers these are brilliant also more robust too!

I know Olivia who is 18 months old loves relaxing with Mummy M or Daddy T before bedtime, although some days if she’s had a busy day a nursery she doesn’t make the ending.

Her she is with Daddy T with one of her favourite books.

I know some children find it hard to read one of my sons was “profoundly dyslexic” & I went back to college to understand what he was going through & ended up helping adults to read three mornings a week, but it gave me an insight into the dyslexic word. G is now 27, a fully qualified mechanic & although he doesn’t do a lot of reading he can now. Some of the most famous people in history have been dyslexic like Richard Branson entrepreneur, William Yeats poet, Agatha Christie Writer, Steven Spielberg film director , Prince Harry, Kirsty Alsopp TV presenter, Sir Steven Redgrave former Olympic rower, Roald Dahl Author. Just be patient & keep books interesting.

What’s your children’s favourite book? Have you read a book you would recommend?

The most important thing is to give them a start, you don’t have to have the latest books, charity shops, jumble & car boot sales are awash with books for all ages. Not forgetting the local library if you are lucky to still have one, getting into the routine of calling in once a week, attending any story sessions they have is a brilliant way for them to come to love books.

You can bring your child’s’ current book to life, ie the Hungry Caterpillar, make their food into the caterpillar with slices of tomato, cucumber, small round biscuits, cheese anything it doesn’t have to be exact just “like”. Make caterpillars during craft time with wool or stickers, just use your imagination or see how imaginative your child is!

Right enough of me rambling, I’m sure your child’s school or nursery has done something to celebrate World Book Day, leave me a comment below letting me know what.